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based in Boston, the PR BUnker is a Strategic communications and PR consultancy & podcast, featuring insights on the public relations, digital marketing and communications. Owned and hosted by don martelli, a former journalist with 25 years of strategic communications, The PR Bunker supports education, nonprofit, professional services and real-estate clients.

Dear PR Types, Please Don't Be Robots

Rukiddingme 1

I receive anywhere between 100-150 pitches a day for my role at Technorati (exec editor). I also receive a slew of others for me to write content for Wired's GeekDad blog, Every Other Thursday as well as this blog.

About 90 percent of it is fluff. While it might be a subject that I'm interested in, there's really no meat to it. Those are pitches I'll hold on to and get to at some point. Most of the people that pitch me don't know from a hole in a wall. Some try and build relationships with me, which I totally appreciate and get (as a PR guy myself).

Others, however, like to spray and pray, i.e. blast out a bunch of pitches, hoping something -- anything -- sticks.

Check out the photo I posted. This is a shot of my Technorati inbox with the same pitch, from the same person, about roughly the same thing. I usually would let this slide, but I had to call this particular person out. I emailed her and said, thanks, but as you can see from the attached image, I'm going to pass because you didn't care to pitch me. You spammed me.

So Dear PR, please get your act together. Do your homework. Build relationships. Take pride in what you pitch. Represent your clients in a way that shines a positive light on them as well as your agency. It's really not brain surgery, but there is a science to it.

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